The companies agreed to a research and development joint venture in November 2010 on microalgae-derived products. After the agreement fell apart, a subsequent arbitration between the parties held that Solazyme was entitled to all of the improvements made to the intellectual property it brought to the agreement.

Roquette sued in the federal court of Delaware in November 28, 2014 to vacate the arbitration order and for a declaration of joint ownership of the algae Intellectual Property rights. Solazyme answered on February 26, 2015 that Roquette agreed to the secrecy of Solazyme's IP under the agreement and violated the agreement by filing patent applications on the IP material.